Jim Brainard American, b. 1940

Jim Brainard creates assemblages made from found often-neglected objects such as tree bark, used matches, and corrugated cardboard. He also scavenges small mysterious pieces of trash to be used in future projects. His view of the environment and looking at common objects in a different way makes his small, detailed assemblages thought provoking. By careful execution Jim arranges the found items into collages that are visually appealing. By creating these assemblages from found items Jim’s abstract compositions inspire contemplation.

Assemblage “à la Joseph Cornell” became an important mode of creation for Jim Brainard. Jim begins by assembling disparate elements of pre-existing, non-art everyday objects that create a pleasing composition. As the piece progresses the “Bits and Pieces” meld together to create a finished work. It is one thing to collect the disparate items, but it is quite another to arrange the items in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Assemblage became a way to express not only aesthetic choices but also conveys civil and social meaning. By accumulating pre-existing items that are visually appealing, Brainard, influenced by the Surrealists and Joseph Cornell, has created intimate works that represent self-contained environments. Although the collages are two dimensional, they exhibit a three-dimensional appeal insofar as they can be considered as relief sculptures reflecting their surroundings.

Jim Brainard was born in 1940 in Arkansas. He moved to St. Louis in 1964. After graduating from the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Art, Brainard worked as a commericial illustrator. He had his first ever solo exhibition at the Bruno David Gallery in 2023.